Today, February 19th, marks the International Day Against Homophobia in Sports, commemorating the birth of Justin Fashanu, the first professional football player to publicly come out as gay in 1990. His life was marked by harassment and misunderstanding, and he tragically took his own life.
At that time, many of his former teammates and colleagues made comments claiming that homosexual individuals had no place in team sports. He had to endure malicious jokes about his sexual orientation and became a frequent target of insults from the public. In fact, coming out ultimately cost Fashanu dearly, as no club offered him a full-time contract after his announcement. His death highlighted the challenges and obstacles faced by LGBT+ individuals in the world of sports, particularly in football.
It has been 35 years since Fashanu came out, and although it remains a taboo subject, we can also appreciate the progress that has been made. Among the latest professional football players to publicly declare their homosexuality are Josh Cavallo (October 2021) and Jake Daniels (May 2022). The latter, at just 17 years old, took up the mantle from Fashanu, becoming the first professional footballer in the UK to come out as gay since 1990. Unlike the pioneer, both Cavallo and Daniels received widespread support from the football world after their respective announcements.
I remember that, until just a few years ago, when I went to watch the professional football matches of the team I follow, some fans shouted “***hole, son of b****, faggot” at the opposing goalkeeper when he was about to take a goal kick. However, today, when I returned to the stadium, these hateful and unacceptable chants were no longer heard. It is a sign that things are changing, a sign that football is becoming more respectful, a sign that we are getting closer to eliminating homophobia from the game. Scientific literature has already identified that upstander interventions are successful in preventing LGBTIQ+phobic violence, and now it is time to transfer these successful strategies to all areas of life, including sports. This year, we lace up once again for the dream of a safer sport for all. For a world in which LGBTQ+ people feel welcome and safe to watch and participate in sport and fitness – at all levels.
Editor of Daily 27.
Predoctoral researcher at the Department of Sociology in University of Barcelona.